Trish Doller

Exhausted and rebellious after three years of working for her father and mothering her brother, eighteen-year-old Arcadia "Cadie" Wells joins two cousins who are camping their way through Florida, soon learning that one is a murderer.

The Devil You Know

jess

meh. Intriguing, but ultimately the characters weren't developed enough - especially Matt and Noah, but unfortunately, Cadie as well.

I enjoyed this book. It was Trish Doller once more providing an interesting and complex character. But it did feel a touch predictable. I think the murder mystery aspect was just too obvious. I did like it showed a girl pursuing the adventure she craved after being so tied to home and her father’s expectations to help him be a parent. But I think it could have done without that intense murder mystery aspect. Especially when I felt it so obvious who she shouldn’t trust. 

I shouldn’t complain. I still enjoyed the story and finished it in one morning but it wasn’t as strong a story as I’d hoped. 

Becky

I enjoyed this book. It was Trish Doller once more providing an interesting and complex character. But it did feel a touch predictable. I think the murder mystery aspect was just too obvious. I did like it showed a girl pursuing the adventure she craved after being so tied to home and her father’s expectations to help him be a parent. But I think it could have done without that intense murder mystery aspect. Especially when I felt it so obvious who she shouldn’t trust. 

I shouldn’t complain. I still enjoyed the story and finished it in one morning but it wasn’t as strong a story as I’d hoped. 

Sofie

Pretty boring and very predictable. Insta-love. Love triangle. 

Pass on this one.

From critically-acclaimed author Trish Doller comes a powerful new psychological page-turner perfect for fans of Lauren Oliver and Sara Zarr. Eighteen-year-old Arcadia wants adventure. Living in a tiny Florida town with her dad and four-year-old brother, Cadie spends most of her time working, going to school, and taking care of her family. So when she meets two handsome cousins at a campfire party, she finally has a chance for fun. They invite her and friend to join them on a road trip, and it's just the risk she's been craving-the opportunity to escape. But what starts out as a fun, sexy journey quickly becomes dangerous when she discovers that one of them is not at all who he claims to be. One of them has deadly intentions. A road trip fling turns terrifying in this contemporary story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

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When I picked up The Devil You Know, I was suffering the throes of a severe book hangover. I knew I needed to read something different and my gorgeous signed hardcover had been staring at me from my bookshelves since I met Trish at the Boldly Bookish event. I decided what the heck? Time to jump in. You know, right before bed. (I'd made smarter decisions.) I can't say I had nightmares, but I definitely had interesting dreams following this book. I might not have meant to read it cover to cover in one night, but I was too sucked in. I couldn't have put it down if you made me.

The Devil You Know was a great read! I loved that it started off just like your run of the mill (but, you know, better ... because Trish's writing) upper young adult contemporary and then BAM creepy and scary things start happening.

I really liked Cadie. I felt sorry for the situation she was in with her home life. It was less than ideal for sure. She might not have handled things in the most ideal way, but I got it and, better yet, she grew from it. She was a great strong heroine and I admired the strength she showed throughout the book. My old lady self did cringe when she and her friend decided to go on a road trip with guys they just met, but then I remembered some of the stupid things I did in my late teens and early twenties and realized this is probably far more believable then people might want to think. It's tough to say much about the other characters or the plot without running the risk of ruining the story for you, so I will just say that both Noah and Matt were charming and leave it at that. You'll get to discover the rest for yourself. 

As with any mystery/thriller, I spent a good portion of the book trying to decipher the clues and figure out who was responsible for the horrific things going on. Was it Noah or Matt? Was it both? Were these all red herrings? In the end, I'd figured it out but Trish definitely threw in just enough to keep me second guessing my theories. It was creepy and perfect. And, honestly, even pushing the mystery storyline aside, this would've been a fantastic book. Trish can do no wrong in my opinion. 

I rarely read thrillers but when I do, I'm always reminded of how obsessed I was with Fear Street and Christopher Pike books as a kid. Those were my jam in my early teens. I wouldn't want to read a lot of these nowadays because I have an overactive imagination, live alone and value my sleep, but I need to mix it up some. I forgot how much I enjoyed them.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

4.5 stars!

WOW! Yes, I definitely need more books like this in my life.

When I first started reading in my teens, I read a lot of murder mystery type books. Mostly James Patterson. I loved the intense and gripping nature of those stories. Then I started reading YA and really got into it. (When I was a teen, we didn’t have a YA genre like we have nowadays. Yes, now I feel old… lol!) I haven’t come across too many YA thriller’s that really had me hooked. So when I stumble across one, I find myself completely engrossed and unable to put the book down. Which is exactly what happened with The Devil You Know. I would have devoured the entire book in one sitting if I had been able to. I ended up forcing myself to go to sleep, and I finished the remaining 50 pages as soon as I woke up the next morning. IT WAS SO GOOD!!

Arcadia is a struggling teen who’s having difficulty feeling stuck in the life she’s living. After her mother’s passing, she became the primary caregiver for her younger brother, and basically took over the mother role in the family. Her father was overwhelmed and basically became non-existent, causing her to grow up more quickly than planned. Now that she’s been doing this for four years, she’s getting worn out and decides she needs some time off. That is, against her father’s wishes. She uses the old “I’m 18, I can do what I want.” bit, and her father is left taking on the parenting role.

Arcadia goes to a beach party on her “night off” where she meets a few new friends, and decides she wants to go on a road trip with a set of handsome cousins. Very different, yet equally intriguing, Arcadia finds herself drawn to both cousins. And the chemistry - oh man! It's intense. The adult in me kept questioning her every move, while the kid in me was eating it up!! I was a very naive and play-by-the-rules type of teenager, so I love reading about adventurous, acting-on-the-moment type of teens. Still, I kept questioning, “Cadie, is this really a good idea? Are you sure you want to do this? Do you know these guys enough to trust them?” Oh man, it was so intense.

I love how Trish Doller’s books have such wonderful father-daughter relationships. Getting to see a strong parental presence is always a plus, since we don’t see that enough in YA books. I also love the friendship aspect, having each other’s backs and always being there when needed. The relationships Trish builds in her books are always so strong and influential.

If you’re looking for a quick read to keep your attention and read in one sitting, grabbing that book and unable to put it down, shocked and questioning every mood, yet eating it up at the same time, and fighting off the chills throughout, this is a book you will want to read. I loved it so much. I first fell in love with Trish’s Where the Stars Still Shine, and now I’m eager for her to write more! This was exactly what I had hoped for. I have Something Like Normal on my Kindle, and I WILL be reading it very soon.

(Thanks to Bloomsbury USA Childrens for the review copy!)

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The Devil You Know

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